Nobody But Each Other
by KnightNight7203
Summary: "Crutchie always knew to catch him when his defenses were down if he wanted answers." In which Crutchie gives Jack a hard time in the nicest, most brotherly way possible.
1. Chapter 1

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my computer, and even that is conditional.**

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When Jack comes back to the newsboys lodging house, the kids accept his return without questions. For the most part, that is. It isn't until much later, once most of the boys are already asleep, that he is finally interrogated, just when he was sure he'd gotten away with it. But then, Crutchie always knew to catch him when his defenses were down if he wanted answers.

"Why'd you run?"

He doesn't sound angry, just curious, and more than a little tired. He rolls over in his bed across from Jack's, his hair messy from sleep, the covers wrapped around his thin waist. It's easy to see his bony shoulders through the thin white shirt he wore to bed, and he shivers a little in the cool night air. But his eyes are bright, and Jack knows he isn't letting him off the hook any time soon.

Jack smiles at him, but it doesn't reach his eyes. He's still sitting propped against the headboard. He hasn't slept since he got back. To be honest, he doesn't want to know what he'll see when he closes his eyes. The only reason he's inside at all is because it's still raining, a dull drizzle trickling down from the sky and slowly soaking everything still on the roof. At least he covered his drawings before he left.

"I didn't want nobody going after you guys cause of what I did."

"What _we_ did. We all fought together." It's clear that Crutchie already knows he was attacked. Granted, the black eye is hard to miss, but he'd hoped that the boys would think it was a leftover bruise from the strike, not the most visible of an impressive set of new ones. But it's too late – Crutchie knows the danger he was in, and he's still upset Jack took his fight elsewhere. "We could have helped you, Jack."

He shakes his head. "When they took you to the refuge – when I came to see you – I was scared, Crutchie, scared to death. I never want–"

"I'd do it again." Crutchie interrupts him, his eyes shining in the moonlight. The kid sounds so earnest, and it breaks Jack's heart that fear is such a constant part of their lives, and that he's accepting of that. "I'd spend weeks in that place if I knew I was making a difference, Jack, you know I would. And it did make a difference. We won. It's about time everyone accepted that."

"Was it worth it?" Even now, he can't disguise the bitterness in his voice. After everything they did, not much has changed, and he's terrified of the repercussions trickling down to the rest of the boys. "So we get a few extra pennies a day. Pulitzer hates us, the cops don't trust us–"

"We got respect now. They take us seriously."

"Nobody's ever gonna take a bunch a poor kids seriously." His tone is hard; there'll be no convincing him otherwise tonight.

Crutchie sighs. "Go back to Katherine's. You'll come back in a better mood again."

"Huh?" Panic is clear in Jack's voice. Crutchie snorts at the faint blush already creeping its way over his neck, visible even in the dark, turning the bruises there an impressive shade of purple.

"You think we don't know where you were? You looked like you were floating when you got back, even if you did have that black eye."

"Well." Jack rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably, looking away. "I was just – we were – I thought–" But Crutchie's laughing at him, silently doubled over with giggles at his stammered excuses.

"Could you act any more guilty? You were just seeing a girl, not committing a crime. Jeez, Jack. It's okay."

Jack chuckles weakly in response, failing to keep his glowering expression in place despite a valiant effort. "Very funny, kid."

Crutchie sighs, and Jack does the same, and they sit in silence for awhile just listening to the other boys breathing deeply in their undisturbed sleep. Rain is still pounding the roof, and the faint rumble of thunder can just be heard in the distance.

"Jack?"

Jack looks over at him, concerned by the sudden note of vulnerability in his friend's voice. "Yeah, Crutchie?"

"You're not – you're not gonna run off with Katherine, are you? I mean, she's nice and all, but we need you here. We ain't got nobody but each other. You're our family."

When Jack smiles again it's for real, his eyes lighting with affection. "I ain't going nowhere, kid. We are a family, right here. If Katherine wants to be part of that–"

"She'll just have to move in!"

"Uh, slow down, kid." Jack sounds nervous again. "That's not what I–"

"Don't worry, Jack," Crutchie murmurs comfortingly. "We'll ask her for ya." Then he turns his back to him and his breathing slowly evens out, leaving Jack to work out how to keep Katherine away from the boys for the next couple of days until that particular idea dies away.

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**I just love Jack being all brotherly to the other boys! It makes me happy. :)**

**Reviews are confidence-boosters!**

**Much love,  
KnightNight7203**


	2. Chapter 2

**Just so you know, context for this comes from my other story Aftermath, through Chapter 6.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own only my computer, and even that is conditional.**

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In the morning Jack is up before dawn, ready to sneak out with his new bag full of supplies before anybody else notices. He hadn't mentioned Katherine's success in finding him a different job the night before, afraid of making his friends worry that he would be leaving them. Crutchie's concerns had only reinforced that idea – he doesn't want them to think that his job as an illustrator for the paper will mean he doesn't care about being a newsie anymore.

Unfortunately, Specs choses the exact time of his escape to realize that there is a nest of spiders living out of one corner of his mattress, and Jack is interrupted by half a dozen newsboys jumping around like five-year-old girls trying to rid their clothes of the hairy insects. He freezes halfway out the door.

The boys are out of their shirts and into their shoes faster than Jack's ever seen them move in his life, and screaming higher than the Delancies did the time he took them out with Crutchie's crutch. He cringes, expecting someone to come investigate the noise. However, the hall stays silent.

"Hey, where's Jack going?" Romeo bellows suddenly from his perch on his bunk above the chaos, and then he's faced with the curious stares of the boys, who stop their panicked dances immediately.

"Is everything okay, Jack?" Mush questions nervously, swatting at his shoulder, where something black and furry is crawling. Crutchie, who is now sitting up at the edge of his bed, stares at him with wide eyes. Jack sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"Everything's great, guys," he whispers. "Go back to sleep. It ain't time to sell papes yet."

"Then where you goin'?" Race demands. "Cause you sure is goin' somewhere, Jack. You scared of a few spiders?"

Crutchie is still watching him, glancing from his guilty face to the bag clutched in his hands, and Jack can tell he's put two and two together and worked something out. He braces himself to be called on his deception. But he is surprised by the smaller boy yet again.

"Jack's just going to see Katherine," Crutchie whispers. It's clear from his eyes that he knows this isn't the case, and is simply covering for the older boy. "It's no big deal." He glances toward the door, signaling that Jack can go, that he doesn't have to reveal the real reason for his secrecy. But Jack knows he can't run out on them like that. He crosses back into the room, squishing a few daring spiders beneath his boots, and settles himself onto Crutchie's bed beside him.

"The thing is, guys," he says slowly, his gaze searching their faces for their reactions, "I'm gonna meet you in Newsie Square later today. I gotta run down to the _Sun_ first, and I thought I'd get started now so I don't miss too much. You know?"

Race shakes his head, frowning. "Why is you going to the _Sun_? We work for the _World_, remember?"

"Uh, yeah. We do. Only, after the strike, and the thing with Teddy Roosevelt, the _Sun_ decided they want to see a few more of my pictures. Begged to use a couple, actually."

It was more the other way around, but a little hyperbole never hurt anyone.

"So you're leaving?" The quiet murmur that voices what all of them are thinking comes from Romeo, who takes a flying leap off the bed he was on and lands on the one above Jack's head. "You're leaving to go work with _her_?"

"Uh, no," Jack says defensively, his voice high. "Come on. I work here. I'm just providing a few services somewhere else so long as they're willing to pay good."

"Which is also known as working." Specs's tone isn't amused.

Jack sighs, pulling off his hat and twisting it in his hands. "Come on, guys. This is the only time I'll be late for selling papes. The rest of the time, I'm just gonna drop stuff off after work. An' we could use the extra money I make to get some real food, or maybe thicker blankets, or–"

"Ice cream?" Henry's voice actually sounds a bit excited.

"Yeah. Sure." Jack smiles tentatively. "Whatever you guys want."

He lets them talk it over amongst themselves for a little, watching their faces carefully for any signs of distress. Most of their expressions range from annoyance to confusion, and even a touch of tentative excitement at the end.

"Are we cool with this?" he asks finally. "Cause I'd really like for you to be cool with this."

"We're cool," Race says finally, crossing his arms officially. "Just so long as we all split the profits."

"I think that can be arranged," Jack laughs. It's a small price to pay for their continued trust and friendship. And he needs that in his life, more than anything.

"An' the thing is, Jack," Crutchie says softly, biting his lip, "you're seventeen. You ain't gonna be a newsie forever. And then where's you gonna go? A factory?" He shakes his head bravely, though his lip is quivering. "Nah, this is much better. For now, it's the best of both worlds. And later, you's set. You got a future now."

"Aww, don't be like that, Crutchie," Jack berates gently. "We've all got futures. Who knows what'll happen next?"

"Sure, Jack," Crutchie says, doubt resonating in his voice. Jack wants to reassure him more, but he can tell he's barely keeping it together, just for the other kids. "You'd better get going. Don't wanna be late for your new job."

"Kay. Thanks for understanding, guys." He ruffles Romeo's hair as he stands up, feeling horrible but with no idea how to fix the situation. "Seriously, don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine."

The boys all smile encouragingly at him as he moves slowly back to the door and slips into the cool hall. But he can tell by the forced quality of their grins and the way they sigh when his back is turned that they don't quite believe him anymore.

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**Finally other newsies have appeared! I know some of you have waited for a really long time, so hopefully this lives up to your expectations. :) Let me know what you think of the characterization. It's hard to capture so many characters at once, especially when you're not as familiar with them . . .**

**So yeah. Reviews are confidence-boosters . . . :)**

**Much love  
KnightNight7203**


	3. Chapter 3

**This comes before chapter 8 of Aftermath.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own only my computer, and even that is conditional.**

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The images burn in his subconsciousness all day, but they're worse at night when his conscious mind is supposed to be at rest.

For so long, he had managed to suppress them – what happened in the past stayed locked in the past, and his dreams were only of blackness, invaded by the occasional leering face or scream. That he could deal with. That he could keep to himself, waking with nothing louder than a few heavy breaths, with nowhere near enough noise to wake the other boys sleeping deeply in their own beds.

Reliving blow by blow his time in the Refuge, though, is more than he's thinks he can handle. The nightly visits from a time he's spent so much energy trying to forget are taking a toll on his body and mind he's not sure he'll be able to recover from. And it's certainly becoming harder to hide.

When he jolts awake, panting and covered in sweat, there's a moment where he prays he didn't cry out, so he can just crawl up to the rooftop and wait out the rest of the night alone without acknowledging the nightmares. He hadn't meant to let himself fall asleep down here anyway, just wanted to pretend for the boys so they didn't suspect anything was wrong. But he was exhausted from doing the same thing the past few nights, and had drifted off as soon as his head hit the pillow. It hadn't lasted very long, though. Now there's a rustling to his left, and Crutchie speaks up from the shadows of his bed.

"Jack?" The boy's voice is soft, hesitant. At least he's got enough sense to know Jack doesn't want the other boys to wake up, even if he refuses to respect the fact that he would rather be left entirely alone. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," he pants, rolling over to hide his face, though he can't hide the tremors even in the dark. But really, he's not sure he is.

It hasn't been this bad in a while, almost since he got out the second time. But now, after going back to see Crutchie, running from Snyder in the streets and witnessing his anger upon his arrest, and having Katherine bring up the damn place every chance she gets, it's getting harder and harder to force the time he spent there away. The faces are coming back, the insults, the touches and injuries and bruises that left no permanent physical marks but changed him in so many other ways. Through it all, Snyder's face looms over him, leering and gloating. For so long, sleep had been his escape from his waking life. The exact opposite is true now. He's terrified to close his eyes.

"No you're not." Crutchie's voice is wavering, like he's nervous to call out the lies of the leader of the newsboys. But he pushes himself into a sitting position and swings his good leg over the edge of his bed to face at Jack. He's not backing down. "What is it?"

Jack swallows thickly, taking deep breaths and trying to stop himself from dry heaving. Nothing would come up – he can't remember the last time he's eaten much, probably at Katherine's picnic nearly a week ago – but the sensation isn't pleasant, and it would undoubtedly scare Crutchie. He doesn't want to talk about it. He doesn't want to think about it anymore. He wants to curl up beneath the sky and think about Santa Fe and fall into unconsciousness so his dreams don't drag back past horrors.

"I told you, kid, it's nothing," Jack says, rolling over. In his head the statement had been a sharp reprimand, but it comes out shaky and uncertain. He chokes out a laugh. "I sound like a mess, though, huh?"

Crutchie doesn't return the chuckle or even grin. He gazes seriously through the darkness, his eyes meeting Jack's. "You haven't slept through the night in days, Jack. I know something's wrong. You're worrying me."

Jack forces himself to sit up, untangling his legs from the damp sheets slowly to avoid looking at Crutchie again. "Don't be worried. Come on, Crutchie. I'd tell you if there was a real problem."

He can feel the skepticism emanating from his friend without looking, and though he doesn't speak, he knows Crutchie doesn't believe him. He rolls off the bed and starts pacing down the aisle between the beds, throwing his arms over his head and stretching even though he would probably feel better curled in a fetal position. He tugs his blanket off his bed the next time he passes by so he can head up to the roof. But Crutchie interrupts him on his way out the door.

"I dream about it too, Jack."

He stops short, his blood running cold. They never really talked about what Crutchie went through in the Refuge, but he'd thought – he'd prayed – that it was nothing compared to his time there. When the kid's smile hadn't changed, when he could jokingly reference Snyder and how he'd cuffed him after the strike, Jack had dared to believe he had escaped the worst.

"Did they touch you in there, Crutchie?" he demands, his tone dangerous. By sounding angry, he finds he can conceal the tremble in his voice. "I'll make them pay–"

"Jack," Crutchie interrupts, shaking his head exasperatedly. "You can't always get even with people. Sometimes life can't be fair."

"Don't I know it," Jack says, coming to sit on his friend's bed. "But seriously, Crutchie. If they hurt you–"

"They didn't," Crutchie assures him. "I got kicked around a little, but once my leg healed I was fine. What happened to me in there was nothing like what happened to you. God, I probably got no right to have nightmares about it at all. But I know what it could be like. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Jack shakes his head. "This ain't got nothing to do with you. I can handle it."

Crutchie places a hand on his arm. "I know. I know you're tough, Jack. But it's okay."

Jack flops back onto the bed, taking care to miss his bad leg that's resting gently on the blankets. "I know, Crutchie. Everything's okay now."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

They lay there in silence, both lost in memories of the place of their nightmares and neither willing to bring up their experiences with the other. Jack can sense Crutchie's anxiety, that he's not satisfied by the conversation, but he doesn't know how to make the kid feel better. He's not sure he will until he sees Jack feeling better, too.

Crutchie nudges him in the side with his good leg, making him open his eyes. "You look tired, though. You're pale. Got circles under your eyes. I'm surprised Katherine hasn't said anything."

"Yeah, me too," he admits. "I am, I'm exhausted. I just– I can't sleep, but I can't stay awake forever either, you know? I just don't know what to do."

Crutchie gives him a mischievous smile. "You could go back to Katherine's?" He says it nervously, like he's afraid Jack will be offended by the teasing. But instead, his face splits into a small grin.

"That idea ain't half bad," he says, sitting up. He glances at the clock, frowning slightly. "Do you think ten o'clock is too late for her to go on a walk with me?"

"It's Katherine," Crutchie laughs. "She'll do whatever you want."

Jack throws his blanket onto his bed, ruffles the other boy's hair, and darts out the door, feeling considerably lighter and more awake than he has been in a while.

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**Reviews are confidence boosters! Aftermath will be updated soon, I just had to get this up so what happens next there makes sense. Thanks for reading!**

**Much love,  
KnightNight7203**


	4. Chapter 4

**Another sad one, sorry guys. :) This chapter comes after Chapter 14 of Aftermath (and is for those of you who were still wondering where exactly Crutchie went . . .)**

**Standard disclaimers apply.**

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Jack corners Crutchie as soon as he gets home. Sure, he's stressed out about Snyder. And of course, everything to do with Katherine has him scared as hell, because this is one part of his life he does _not_ want to mess up. But nothing matters to him like Crutchie does, and he's not going anywhere until he figures out what he was up to.

"Okay, kid," he says once he's in position to block the escape route to the door. "I covered for ya earlier. Time to come clean. Where were you?"

Crutchie rolls his eyes and tries to duck around Jack, who throws out an arm and forces him back onto a faded couch. "I told you, Jack. It ain't a big deal."

"Yeah, well, it's a big deal to me. I just wanna know. Is that so bad?"

"It ain't bad, Jack." Crutchie glances at him sideways, then looks away, sighing. "I just don't wanna upset ya. An' I know it will, if I tell ya."

Jack lowers himself onto the couch beside the younger boy, ruffling his hair reassuringly. "I won't get mad. I promise."

Crutchie is silent, looking anywhere but Jack. The tension in the room must be nearly thick enough to see, because when Specs and Romeo poke their heads into the room during the long pause in the conversation, they back out almost immediately. Crutchie watches them go wistfully – Jack's sure he'd rather be escaping with them than sitting here – then finally speaks.

"I didn't say you'll get mad. I said it'll upset you. Even if you don't blame me, you won't like it."

"But you said it ain't bad."

"It isn't. I just–"

"Then tell me!" Jack's voice is louder now, tinged with exasperation. "Damn it, kid!" Crutchie opens and closes his mouth silently several times, obviously unsure of what to do, then screws up his face and comes clean in one quickly babbled confession.

"I went to the prison to see Snyder, okay?"

His eyes widen, probably a mirror image of Jack's own, and he rubs his neck uncomfortably.

"You what?" Jack's voice is low and cold.

"You heard me."

He did. And Crutchie was right. He doesn't like it one bit.

The kid looks nervous, but confused, too, like he's not sure why he's scared. And to be fair, Jack doesn't know why he's suddenly so angry, clenching his teeth to avoid shouting and interlocking his fingers so he can't see his hands shaking. With Snyder in that prison, it doesn't matter if they're in the hallway right outside the barred doors or halfway across the world – they're equally as safe. Or in equally as much danger, if Snyder really is sending thugs after kids who were involved with the strike.

But Jack didn't want any of his boys near that man ever again.

"How the hell did you get even get there? It's halfway across town."

"I asked one of your friends for a lift." Crutchie shrugs. "Governor Roosevelt. He picked me up in his carriage just a little after you left."

"And if I wouldn't have left? If I would have been watching?" A sudden, immense wave of guilt threatens to overwhelm him, that he might have been able to keep Crutchie away from that kind of experience this time.

"I'd have gone anyway, Jack." Crutchie's voice is quiet but firm. "I had to see it. And ya know, it might do you good to see it, too."

With that, he pulls out a crumpled, yellowing piece of paper from his pocket and smooths it out before handing it to Jack. It's a crude drawing, with dark, rough lines across the expanse of the paper and a small, broken-looking stick figure staring glumly from inside the bars. But though Jack has never been in this prison, he can still feel the chill, hear the moans and the yells. He doesn't like the drawing much, though he would never tell Crutchie that. He can tell the boy is proud of his representation of his previous night's adventure.

"See? That's how it looks in that prison. He's trapped all right."

"And what, exactly, did you do there?" Jack's tone hasn't warmed up any, even after looking at the sketch. He forces it back at the younger boy, who takes it, face falling. "Besides sit casually by the guy we have nightmares about and draw a pretty picture."

Crutchie shakes his head emphatically. "I didn't just sit there by him, an' I didn't talk to him at all. I don't know if he would've recognized me if he saw me. I just wanted to make sure he was gone, so's we could sleep easier. Ya know? I thought if you heard how he was locked up, if you saw it–" he waves the picture toward Jack again "–then it might not be as bad."

Jack can't stop his voice from cracking. He reaches for the picture again, gripping it with newfound understanding. "You did this for me?"

"For both of us, Jackie. He ain't so scary in there. We're okay now."

Jack studies the picture, swallowing thickly at the new emotions forcing their way up his throat. He worried Crutchie enough that the kid hobbled across the city in the middle of the night to reassure him. Crutchie went to another prison, to face _Snyder,_ for him. It's too much to think about. This is why he hadn't wanted to sleep where the boys could hear him.

Oblivious to his guilt, Crutchie nudges his shoulder and smiles shyly. "You was really worried about me?"

Jack shrugs, not meeting his eyes. "I didn't get myself all beat up just to see if the Delancies still had their brass knuckles. We were tryin' to find you."

"You didn't have to start a fight over me," Crutchie says, though he sounds touched. "I'm not that much younger than you. Sure am older than you were when you started lookin' out for us. Ya don't have to worry so much." He smiles brightly, proudly. "We'll be all right."

Jack shakes his head. "I've got to worry, Crutch. What else am I good for? I'm nothing – _nothing – _if I ain't watching out for you boys."

"We appreciate it, Jackie. We really do." Crutchie sighs, frowning at him apologetically. "I'm sorry I didn't tell ya where I was going."

"That's okay, kid." Jack pulls him into a one-armed hug, then pushes him gently up off the couch. "Just, no more nighttime adventures for awhile, okay?"

Crutchie smiles again, readjusting his crutch under his arm. "Okay."

Jack forces a small grin at him as he turns to leave, but the drawing feels unnaturally heavy in his hand, and the sound of Crutchie recounting their pitiful blessings still rings in his ears. He wishes things were different. He wishes his boys could be in school, worrying about games rather than their next beating or their next meal. But he smiles, for Crutchie's sake.

Not until the younger boy slowly limps from the room does Jack allow the tears gathering in his eyes to fall.

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**Reviews are confidence boosters.**

**Much love,  
KnightNight7203**


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